There is nothing quite like the backward, incoherent nature of the criminal “justice” system in California. Case in point: Attempting to murder someone can land you a sentence of just a single day in jail.
In 2019, David Xu was charged with attempted murder (and two felony poisoning counts) after repeatedly poisoning a coworker’s food and water with cadmium over a span of two years. The victim, Rong Yuan, lost her hair and suffered from persistent vomiting. Cadmium poisoning can lead to organ failure, among other things.
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But Xu had the fortuitous break of being a criminal in Alameda County during the tenure of District Attorney Pamela Price, who dedicated her time in office to doing everything possible to keep criminals out of jail. One example that should give you an idea of how zealous Price was in this mission was her promise that she would try to ensure that three gang members would not go to jail at all for taking part in a shooting that killed a toddler.
And so, for attempting to slowly murder a coworker through poisoning over a span of two years, Xu received a plea deal that sentenced him to just two years of probation. He served just one day in jail. In fact, that was even harsher than Price had wanted, as the plea deal she had offered him had been for only one year of probation, which the judge thought was shockingly lenient.
Still, this is California, and Price (who has since been recalled) is not the only one who is soft on crime. Judges continued to grant Xu more and more privileges while he was out on bond, watering down his house arrest conditions until they were revoked entirely. Xu only had to pay Yuan, who continues to this day to feel the effects of the poisoning, a measly $7,058. The judge who oversaw the sentencing gave Xu a stern finger-wagging, instructing him, “Please do not touch any poison at all. Ever. Ever.”
That’ll sure show him.
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It does not end there, though. The case is only back in the news after Yuan released video footage she recorded of the poisonings, which she only did because Xu is seeking to have the courts expunge the conviction from his record. Xu pleaded down an attempted murder charge and is now attempting to have the case erased, which means background checks by future employers may not catch that he previously tried to kill a coworker.
Surely, there is no way California’s criminal justice system will afford Xu yet another favor, right?